1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and a method of using a display device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a display device having a light sensor for controlling image brightness and a method of controlling image brightness using a light sensor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, during the 1970's, display devices, i.e., televisions, used light sensors to automatically control the brightness of displayed images according to ambient light conditions. Specifically, in high ambient light conditions, such as bright sunlight or under intense indoor lighting conditions, the light sensors would set the image contrast to a maximum for increased viewability. Conversely, in low ambient light conditions, such as low indoor lighting conditions, the light sensors would reduce the image contrast for the best viewability.
During the 1980's, display device manufacturers realized that use of automatic light sensors caused the display images to have a reduced contrast, thereby giving consumers a false sense of reduced brightness when the consumer viewed the display device in a showroom, which usually had intermediate indoor lighting conditions. Accordingly, when the consumer was in the showroom comparing display devices having the automatic light sensors with display devices that did not have the automatic light sensors, the consumer would naturally be preferentially drawn to the display device not having automatic light sensors. The reason being that in the showroom, images displayed by the display devices having the automatic light sensors would appear faint, washed-out, and less vibrant than images displayed by the display devices without the automatic light sensors.
Presently, display devices now provide automatic light sensors that can be disabled/enabled by the customers. For specific showroom performance, display devices may be shipped with automatic light sensors turned OFF, but most customers are completely unaware that the automatic light sensors may be turned ON once the display device is set-up in the customer's home. Specifically, display device manufacturers routinely ship their display devices having the automatic light sensor disabled, i.e., turned OFF. However, during initial set-up of the display device in the customer's home, enabling of the automatic light sensor is not easily accomplished since the set-up menus and submenus that allow for the enablement/disablement of the automatic light sensor are not provided as one single user interface menu. Accordingly, the customer is not likely to enable the automatic light sensor in the home.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views of user programming screens of a display device according to the prior art. In FIG. 1, a user programming screen 10 includes various main selections 20 and various sub-main selections 30. Here, once a main selection 20 is selected, each of the individual sub-main selections 30 dedicated to the selected one of the main selection 20 is offered for changing. As shown in FIG. 1, if the user selects SET-UP, then the individual sub-main selections 30 are shown for changing, including the sub-main selection for LIGHT SENSOR. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, if the user selects VIDEO, the individual sub-main selections 30 are shown for changing, including the sub-main selection of CONTRAST.
As demonstrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, image adjustments of the display device must be performed using two different user programming screens. Here, the enabling/disabling of the automatic LIGHT SENSOR and the adjustment of image CONTRAST must be performed using different programming screens. Accordingly, the user is not very likely to associate the automatic LIGHT SENSOR with the image CONTRAST control and is unlikely to perform the optimum adjustments to the automatic LIGHT SENSOR and the image CONTRAST control due to the structure of the user programming screens. As a result, a display device is needed that provides a user with the ability to associate the automatic LIGHT SENSOR with the image CONTRAST control and conveniently optimize the display device for the home viewing environment.